How do you demonstrate your love of country?

A FB friend recently posted a message regarding the consequences of burning the flag. I have to say I find it very disturbing that someone would want to burn the very symbol of our freedom. Growing up, in our home, the flag flew often and there were pretty strict "guidelines" - never out in the rain, never touched the ground, never left hanging at night etc - treated with great respect. (my dad was career Navy).

Flag hanging from the top of a fire truck ladder - at a poker run/fund raiser for wounded marines.

Anyway, when I read that posting, two things came to mind.  First, it made me think about an evening spent at the Georgetown fair a couple of weeks ago. I was there for a concert - the Vogues were playing (a group from the 60's/70's for you youngsters). The lead singer commented that after 9/11, as they toured the country, they saw flags flying everywhere. He says they hardly see any now when they're traveling ...yet when he drove into Georgetown, they were hanging from every street light down the main street. He asked if they were leftover from the July 4 celebration and the crowd indicated that was not the case.  He went on to give the audience somewhat of a "pep talk" about demonstrating your love of country by hanging a flag, supporting the men and women in the military etc.  He was preaching to the choir....this crowd "got it" and responded enthusiastically.

I have a couple of neighbors who not only display a flag, they have installed full-sized flag poles in their front yards and from that, they hang the American flag...occassionally adding an Illini flag (usually associated with a sporting event).  I do notice, however, that they seldom take the flags down..they hang in rain, snow and at night.  I have mixed feelings about that - all going back to the "flag rules" taught to us by my dad.  A few other neighbors hang them, but not too many.  Is it because we're a culturally diverse neighborhood or is it because people just don't care?

My second thought as I read the FB message was about demonstrating "love of country" beyond the easy/symbolic gestures (like a bumper sticker that says "I love America") - and that is making sure we maintain this country's majestic beauty for generations to come, by not trashing it!

Cigarette butts disposed of in a parking lot?

 I took this picture in a parking lot.  In my experience, its not uncommon for a smoker to think its perfectly acceptable to throw their butt,  or the whole darn ash tray as in this case, on the ground.  And this from a guy who has a bumper sticker that reads "I love America".  So I ask him...how can you claim to love America, but have zero concern about trashing it?   He didn't take kindly to my gentle confrontation...someday I will be found dead in a parking lot.  I'm only sorry I didn't get his picture before he walked away.

In fairness to smokers, I could have taken many other parking lot "trash pictures" as there were fast food bags, some empty soda cans and various other trash, no doubt thrown out of a car because someone didn't want to trash their car!  You see the same kind of trash in ditches along highways. 

So, I examine my "trash habits" and have to admit I have room for improvement - but I'm motivated to do a better job (thanks to people like cousin Heather and her husband, Aaron, cousin Patty and Susie, a friend from Florida, who set a good example).   Step 1 was to start composting (after visiting Patty who is also a gardener).  Easy to do and pretty interesting to watch large amounts of compostable stuff get reduced to a few inches of rich black "plant food".  Step 2, recycling - I just need to switch trash haulers as the one I use doesn't accept much (cans and milk jugs) so I end up accumulating other items in my garage and taking them to the recycling center.

Its hard to break old habits.  For example, I do believe that plastic bags used in grocery stores are a problem in that they will never ever be anything other than a plastic bag....forever. So, I'm trying to do my part to avoid using them (how can anyone argue the logic of that?). To that end, a year or so ago,  I purchased some of the large cloth grocery bags.  But I have to admit that purchasing them (cheap at 99cents/bag) is just the first step...then you have to remember to take them with you when you go to shop.  I now try to keep empty ones in the car so they are there when I need them (and ok I have to confess that even when they are sitting on the seat next to me, I sometimes forget them and have to run back to the car).  I like them, I feel good about using them...and a big plus is they hold twice as much as the plastic bags. 

At the risk of alienating those of you who are big Glenn Beck fans (although you probably haven't read this far into the blog if you are, as being environmentally conscious has somehow today become attached to being politically liberal...which is fascinating but that's a whole other subject)...can I just say that I was rather stunned to hear hear him and some guests recently "dis" the whole concept of using cloth bags when shopping.  They made fun of the concept, saying it wasn't "manly" to use them....and that they would continue to use plastic bags because they think its perfectly ok - in fact they said they would "double bag and use as much plastic as possible". (google the video...."Beck and crew mock reusable grocery bags). 

So I'm thinking, how can this guy, who claims to be so in love with America and its freedoms, not care anything about the actual America...the land, the air ...no concern about maintaining its majestic beauty?  I'm not talking global warming here...I'm talking about the simple idea that plastic in a landfill will be plastic forever...so if we can avoid that, why is that a bad thing? 

Is it not demonstrating true "love of country" when you care enough about it that you are conscientious about keeping it "clean"?  So I say, let's fly our flags, support our troops, plant a tree and recycle, all in the spirit of "I love America".